With Childlike Wonder…

Having a house full of teenagers can be a challenge to any parent, but it is the Christmas Season that I find myself missing the long gone days of childlike wonder and excitement that bubbled along as the days waned and Christmas morning drew closer. Their simple excitement that surrounded everything from opening a window on their Advent Calendar to baking cookies was a palpable feeling in the house. The excitement in trimming the tree and writing their letter’s to Santa brought excitement to the parental units as well, and I found myself viewing things in a new light as I shared in the wonder that my children created.

It is not so any longer, teenagers are the most cynical of creatures and the wonder, excitement, and anticipation that is Advent is missing…

I found it missing from myself as well and rather than be saddened by that loss I have rekindled that slowly dying ember, Gentle Reader. I gently fanned the flames and I have found myself reveling in that childlike wonder again. I thought that if this problem had happened to me, it must happen to others – so this blog post is my attempt to help you regain that wonder and excitement. As the days wind down and Christmas looms ever closer, it is my fondest hope and desire that you should not be overwhelmed by what you need to do, rather that you can find a moment to take a deep breath and focus on the beauty of the season.

Steve Earle wrote a beautiful song that sums up the season for me and I will share those words with you today – the song is titled “Nothing but a Child” … I hope you enjoy the words.

Once upon a time in a far off landWise men saw a sign and set out aross the sandSongs of praise to sing, they travelled day and nightPrecious gifts to bring, guided by the lightThey chased a brand new star, ever towards the westAcross the mountains far, but when it came to restThey scarce believed their eyes, they’d come so many milesAnd the miracle they prized was nothing but a child

Nothing but a child could wash these tears awayOr guide a weary world into the light of dayAnd nothing but a child could help erase these milesSo once again we all can be children for awhile

Now all around the world, in every Iittle townEveryday is heard a precious little soundAnd every mother kind and every father proudLooks down in awe to find another chance allowed

My hope is that you can join me in being a child in the remaining days before Christmas. To help you get started I will share with you one of my favorite renditions of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah…

I’ve noticed this with my oldest as his taste for the “wonder” of Christmas has faded. Fortunately he has not focused himself on the material side of things, so I’m still quite happy on that side of thing.

My youngest is still absolutely captivated by the idea of all of Christmases wonder… so he and I get to live as the children we are a bit longer 🙂

The best part of Christmas is watching LW’s excitement about everything! It makes me feel like a child again. I am glad he’s only 5, I hope I have many more years of wonderment and joy before the teens set in.

Wow, Kat! I love that rendition of the Messiah. Christmas remains close to my heart, always allowing me the opportunity to relive those wonderful times when our children were still at home. And now, I find joy in seeing our five grandchildren bounce in the door on Christmas morning.

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About Me:

I am the mom of 3 amazing adult children and Nana to one precious granddaughter. I am a knitter and sometime spinner, a NPR junkie, gloriously liberal, a wanna be photographer, a voracious reader, a sometimes stitcher, and a lover of good food…